US President Donald Trump has said he personally intervened to stop Israel from carrying out a major new wave of strikes against Iran, warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that continued military action could leave Israel increasingly isolated.
According to an Axios report citing two Israeli officials, Israel was preparing what was expected to be its largest round of attacks on Iran since April. Dozens of sensitive targets were reportedly under consideration when Trump contacted Netanyahu and urged him to call off the operation.
"I said, 'Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,'" Trump told the news outlet, reported Hindustan Times.
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The report said the conversation included disagreements, but ultimately ended with Netanyahu agreeing to hold back if Iran refrained from launching further attacks. Following the call, Netanyahu reportedly instructed senior military commanders to cancel the planned strikes.
Hostilities pause after exchange of attacks
The diplomatic intervention came after a fresh round of military exchanges between Iran and Israel threatened to escalate tensions across the region.
Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to Israel's ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel retaliated despite efforts by Trump to discourage further escalation. Another round of Iranian missile attacks followed before Tehran announced it would halt its military action.
On Monday, both countries indicated that hostilities had stopped, at least for the time being. Netanyahu said that the "fire on that front is contained", while Iranian authorities signalled that military operations had ceased.
Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 8, 2026
"A year ago, we launched a historic preemptive strike against Iran’s intention to destroy us with atomic bombs. We thwarted this immediate threat – and we also eliminated the tyrant Khamenei.
If we had not acted in… pic.twitter.com/bSxNqr3MYm
Warnings remain despite truce
Despite the pause, both sides issued warnings.
Tehran said it would resume attacks if Israel continued strikes linked to the conflict in Lebanon. Netanyahu responded by warning that if Iran were to "make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force".
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz maintained that operations against Hezbollah would continue and said Israel would retaliate against attacks originating from Lebanon.
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Growing differences between Washington and Tel Aviv
Axios reported that recent developments have highlighted growing differences between the priorities of Washington and Tel Aviv.
Per HT, a US official quoted in the report summed up the divergence by saying, "Bibi needs the war to continue to stay politically alive in Israel, and Trump needs the war to end to stay politically alive in the US."
FAQs:
Why did Trump call Netanyahu regarding Iran?
Trump said he urged the Israeli Prime Minister to stop planned strikes on Iran to avoid further escalation.
Did Israel go ahead with the reported strikes on Iran?
According to Axios, Netanyahu agreed to stand down and reportedly cancelled the planned attacks after the call.
